Mayor ofDallas
Seal of the City of Dallas
Incumbent Eric Johnson since 2019
Style	The Honorable
Residence	Dallas, Texas
Term length	Four years, renewable once
Inaugural holder	Dr.Samuel B. Pryor 1856
Formation	Dallas City Charter
Salary	$80,000
Website	City of Dallas - Mayor Eric Johnson

TheMayor of the City of Dallas is a member of theDallas City Council and its presiding officer. The current mayor isEric Johnson, who has served one term since2019 and is the 60th mayor to serve in the position. Dallas operates under a city charter that designates the mayor as the official head of city government and a council-manager system where a city council-appointed city manager serves as the chief operating officer of the city.

The city ofDallas operates under acouncil-manager government type, putting the city of Dallas in a unique position as being one of the largest cities in the United States to utilize this municipal government structure. Unlike the more common form of government used by large cities known as themayor-council government - where the mayor serves the chief-executive position of the city - the council-manager government of the city of Dallas gives the operational responsibility to the appointed City Manager. The mayor presides over city council meetings and official ceremonies and serves as a representative of the City of Dallas at the local, state, national, and international level. Likewise, it is not uncommon for mayors of the city of Dallas to simultaneously serve as members or heads of other committees while in office, further representing the interests of the people and city of Dallas in organizations and committees.

The Office of Mayor was created with the formation of the Dallas City Charter in 1856, also providing for the mayor six aldermen, a treasurer, recorder and a constable. In the charter, it was stated that each office would be elected for a term of one year.^[1] In the reorganization of 1876, the mayor was elected to the office for a term of two years.^[2] The office was first filled in theelection of 1856, in which Dr.Samuel B. Pryor defeatedA. D. Rice for the position.^[3] A. D. Rice would run for office again and go on to serve as the 4th mayor of the city.

For much of the 19th century, mayors of the city of Dallas served for only one term. This precedence was broken at the end ofWinship C. Connor's term, who – after serving three consecutive terms from 1887 to 1894 – would go on to be the city's longest consecutively serving mayor in the 19th century. His success was accredited to the development of the city's first water, power, and streetcar systems.

The municipal government of Dallas underwent two significant structural changes during its history. The first change was made in 1907 where the city voted to change from analderman system to a commission form of government.Stephen J. Hay was the first mayor elected in this new form of government, demonstrating the success of the highly debated commission form of government and contributing to the development ofWhite Rock Lake in response to a water shortage in 1910. The second major government change was made in 1930, altering the commission form of government to specifically be a council-manager form. The first mayor to serve following this change wasTom Bradford, a successful grocer who was a significant financial contributor to the Bradford Memorial Hospital for Babies, the preliminary institution to theChildren's Medical Center Dallas. He died after suffering a major heart attack in 1932 and was the first mayor of Dallas to die in office.

Woodall Rodgers, serving two 4 year terms from 1939 to 1947, was mayor during World War II and served during the rampant manufacturing of aircraft and weapon goods in a rapidly industrializing Dallas. Rodgers oversaw the initial transformation ofDallas Love Field from aUSAAF training ground to a commercial airport. He was also mayor when theMercantile National Bank Building was constructed, which was the only skyscraper built in the United States during World War II and was the tallest building in the city of Dallas until the completion ofRepublic Center Tower I in 1954. The economic success brought by his contributions in office are commemorated by several namesakes throughout the city, most notably theWoodall Rodgers Freeway that passes underneathKlyde Warren Park and over the Trinity River along theMargaret Hunt Hill Bridge.

Earle Cabell served as 48th mayor from 1961 to 1964 and was mayor during theassassination of President John F. Kennedy in the city. In the wake of the assassination, Cabell was the target of multiple death threats and accusations of his involvement in the act.

The image of the city of Dallas was immensely tarnished by the assassination of the President, earning the moniker "City of Hate". Following Earle Cabell was MayorJ. Erik Jonsson who funded and supported the then proposedDallas/Fort Worth International Airport. As mayor, he went on to support public works projects such as developing the newDallas City Hall, theDallas Convention Center, and theDallas Central Library - the last of which is now named in his honor. He was followed byWes Wise who went on to further improve the city's image during his three terms as mayor from 1971 to 1976. However, he stepped down to pursue a political career inUnited States Congress before the end of his third term. His pro-term mayoral successor,Adlene Harrison, stepped in and became acting mayor for the remainder of his term. She was the city's first female mayor, and the first female Jewish mayor in the United States. AlthoughDianne Feinstein is officially recognized as the first female Jewish mayor in the United States, Adlene Harrison's position as acting mayor predates Feinstein's start in office by almost two years; Adlene began serving as acting mayor on February 11, 1976, while Feinstein took office on December 4, 1978. Adlene would go on to serve as a member of several environmental committees and organizations after her short tenure, including theEnvironmental Protection Agency.

Ron Kirk was the first African-American mayor of the City of Dallas and served two terms from 1995 to 2002. As mayor, he led several efforts advocating for race equality and social welfare, mitigated tension between City Council and the Dallas School Board, advocated for economic development, and oversaw the construction of theAmerican Airlines Center. He would later step down to pursue a seat in the US Senate, where he lost in the 2002 election toJohn Cornyn. After his defeat, he went on to become a lobbyist before being nominated and appointed by PresidentBarack Obama to serve asUnited States Trade Representative from 2009 to 2013.

Laura Miller - the city's third female mayor, following Adlene Harrison andAnnette Strauss - was instrumental in renegotiating theWright Amendment to revise flight restrictions at Love Field Airport, as well as implementing a citywide smoking ban and an ordinance prohibiting sex-based discrimination. The following mayorTom Leppert would impose a staunch crime-fighting policy, promote the economic development of a modern inland port, and was a vocal supporter of a controversial convention center hotel project during theGreat Recession. He later vacated the office to pursue a US Senate campaign in 2012, of which he would place third in the runoff. Following the four-month incumbency of acting mayorDwaine Caraway, mayorMike Rawlings would be known for his vocal leadership during the2014 Ebola outbreak, the2016 shooting of Dallas police officers, and the removal of confederate monuments following theCharlottesville riots.

This is the list of people who have held the office of Mayor. Note: municipal elections in Texas are non-partisan. The party affiliation of the Mayor is listed here for informational purposes only.^[a]

• History of Dallas
• List of mayors of the 50 largest cities in the United States

• Official page

• Lists of mayors of places in Texas
• Mayors of Dallas
• Dallas-related lists

• Articles with short description
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• Use mdy dates from April 2025